Ongoing Research

Randomized Control Trial in Cohorts: Lao PDR and Brazil

We are implementing an innovative intervention to optimize exclusive breastfeeding in two middle-income countries with low exclusive breastfeeding rates. Participants of the studies receive social transfers and we assess their exclusive breastfeeding rates from their responses to questionnaires, recorded at different timepoints.

Yi, D. and Kim, S. (2021) ‘Human breast milk composition and function in human health: From nutritional components to microbiome and micrornas’, Nutrients, 13(9), p. 3094. doi:10.3390/nu13093094.

Human Milk Composition

We assess the impact of human milk on child gut microbiota and growth through an integrative analysis of bioactive, micro- and macro-nutrient factors.

  • Conducting an integrative analysis of bioactive, micro- and macro-nutrient factors in human milk and the infant gut microbiome.

  • Assessing differences in bioactive, micro- and macro-nutrient composition in human milk between mothers who primarily bottle feed breastmilk compared to infants exclusively breastfed.

  • Investigating the association between bioactive, micro- and macro-nutrient composition in human milk and childhood growth.

Policy Assessment

We hope to establish state-of the art evidence on the optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding, as well as a global assessment of where countries are relative to this optimal duration.

  • Empirically re-assess the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding duration and child health and development

  • Create updated and comparable estimates for compliance with recommendations at national, regional and global levels